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Twelve Olympians
The Twelve Olympians were the chief deities of Ancient Greek Mythology. Original Twelve Olympians These gods and goddesses held a place in the Council on Mount Olympus and were considered to be the chief deities in Ancient Greece. from their birth and onwards they have been the image of their realm or sphere of power. Aphrodite Aphrodite was the ancient Greek goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. Her Roman equivalent is Venus. By some accounts she was the daughter of Zeus, and by others she was born of the foam on the waves when Cronus castrated Uranus and tossed his genitals into the sea. She is married to Hephaestus, god of the forge. and had countless affairs with other men and had countless children as the result but her most notable lover was Ares, the god of war Apollo Apollo was the Greek god of music, poetry, oracles, sun, medicine, light and knowledge. Other than Helios, he drove the sun through the sky everyday. Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto, and has a twin sister, the chaste huntress Artemis. Ares Ares, also known as Mars in Roman Mythology, is the ancient Greek god of war. He is the one of the sons of Zeus, the father god, and Hera, the queen of the gods. He is unwed, yet he had multiple affair with the goddess Aphrodite. The have Deimos 'Terror' and Phobos 'Fear', accompanied Ares, and help explain why Ares' variety of warfare earned so much hatred. Eres, the goddess of discord, who uses the golden apple to start conflicts between the gods (The Trojan War is a key example), and is also another companion of his. Artemis Artemis, known as Diana to the Romans, was the ancient Greek goddess of the hunt, moon, and guardian of women in childbirth. She has a twin brother Apollo and is the daughter of Zeus and Leto. Artemis swore to forever remain a maiden, holding a hatred for men; calling for them to be ripped apart if found spying on her bathing. Her symbols are the hounds that she hunts with, her bow, jasmine, hazel, clouds, and the lunar crescent she wears on her brow. Athena Athena was the ancient Greek goddess of crafts/weaving, wisdom, and to a point- war stragity. Her Roman equivalent is Minerva. She was born from the head of Zeus, seen as a headache in different interpretations of the original myth. She is said to not have a mother and to be born from zeus's thoughts, and as such, Zeus is said to have given "birth" to her. She is the "right-hand" of Zeus, being his favorite child, and is often turned to for advice. She and Poseidon once competed to be named the patron of Athens, Poseidon giving the gift of a salt-water spring or a horse (different interpretation - different gift), and she gave an olive tree. The greeks enjoyed her gift more, and the city was named after her. Demeter One of the two Earth gods or godesses. Demeter was the ancient Greek goddess of the Earth, Agriculture, Harvest, and Forests. Her Roman equivalent is Ceres. She is the daughter of Cronus and Rheia and the sibling of Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Hestia, Zeus and Chiron. Dionysus A subtue of Hestia the virgin Goddess of Family health for the seat of twelve Olympians. Dionysus was the ancient Greek god of Wine, Theatre, and Ecstasy. His Roman equivalent is Bacchus/Liber. His parents were Zeus and Semele. Hephaestus Hephaestus was the ancient Greek god of fire/forging. His Roman equivalent is Vulcan. He is the son of Hera. He created all of the tools for the rest of the Olympians. He was married to Aphrodite, but she had many affairs. His mother Hera pushed him off Mount Olympus when he was born because she was a perfectionist; Hephaestus was not beautiful as most of the gods were characterized. He was so ugly in fact that his wife Aphrodite had an affair with Ares, the god of war, and many others. Hera Hera was the wife of the god Zeus. Hera was the Queen of the Heavens and was cruel to any child of Zeus' that wasn't her own.She was worshiped as the goddess of marriage and monogamy. Her children are Hephaestus, Hebe, and Ares. She is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea. She is also said to kill each of Zeus' affairs, nymph or human, unless they are carrying a child. Her symbol is the Peacock. Hermes Hermes, Mercury in Roman mythology, was the god of shepherds, thieves, travelers, literature, poets , athletics and sports. He is the herald god of the Olympians. He is the son of Zeus and Maia. Poseidon Poseidon, known as Neptune in Roman myths, was the Ancient Greek god of the oceans, seas, and earthquakes. He has a bad temper and gets revenge by causing, floods, droughts, and earthquakes in cities. It is said he made horses from the foam of the sea. He is the son of Cronus and Rhea, and the brother of Zeus, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera. He played a key role in the overthrow of his father. He carries a trident, the source of his powers, is the father of Pegasus, and is possibly the father of Theseus. Other Major Deities These gods and goddesses, among many others, held a major role in their domains over Ancient Greece, but do not hold a place among the twelve chief Olympians. They include (in alphabetical order): Eros, Heracles, Hebe, Helios, Hestia, Hades, Janus, Pan and Persephone. Notes *Hades is considered an important god, but is not counted in the Twelve Olympians because he dwells in the Underworld. *Hestia was once a olympian but gave up her postion for Dionysus. Image Gallery Athena Parthenos Altemps Inv8622.jpg|Athena Apollo.jpg|Apollo Bust of Zeus.jpg|Zeus Ares villa Hadriana.jpg|Ares Dionysos Sardanapalus.jpg|Dionysus Hephaestus.png|Hephastus Poseidon sculpture copenhagen 20051.jpg|Poseidon Hermes.gif|Hermes Demeter.png|Demeter Aphrodite.jpg|Aphrodite Artemis.jpg|Artemis 14.jpg|Hestia, a former Olympian and sister to Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hera and Demeter.|link=Hestia 15.jpg|Hades, sometimes considered an Olympian|link=Hades References *http://www.pantheon.org/ *http://www.the-pantheon.com/ *http://www.mythweb.com/ Category:Greek mythology Category:Twelve Olmypians Category:Greek gods Category:Greek goddesses Category:Greek deities Category:Gods